NVSC and ULAC still do not have executives: those who want such salaries do not emerge

In total, up to nine SAM subordinates currently have no permanent managers. In addition to the aforementioned institutions, SAM is looking for people who can occupy the Radiation Protection Center, the Health Emergency Center of the Ministry of Health, the Lithuanian Medical Library, the Competence Center for Pharmacy and Healthcare Specialists, the Forensic Department of the State. Management responsibilities of the Psychiatric Service under the SAM, the State Center for Mental Health and the Republican Hospital of Šiauliai.

So what happened that there is such a shortage of important healthcare managers right now and for some there has been no change for almost half a year?

The advisor to the SAM Press Service, Neringa Mikėnaitė, said that a candidate for the position of ULAC manager has already appeared, although the result of the competition is not yet known. It should come to light these days. And it is not yet known how many candidates to become the director of the NVSC qualify.

If a candidate for ULAC leadership does not meet the expectations and requirements, the ministry intends to re-announce the competition.

ULAC’s Main Competition Commission is made up of Jurgita Grebenkovienė, Chancellor of the Ministry of Health, Aušra Bilotienė-Motiejūnienė, Deputy Minister, Ginreta Megelinskienė, Advisor to the Health Promotion Division, Eglė Tamošiūnienė, Head of the Anti-Corruption, Compliance and Compliance Division and Donatas Keršis, Head of the Legal Division.

Asked why it was so difficult to find those responsible for these institutions, the advisor said: “It is likely that the more passive participation in the contests is due to the continuing emergency, which is currently causing more attention and challenges for these institutions.”

NVSC’s core competition has already been announced for the second time. It was held for the first time on June 16.

According to the Civil Service Department, “The winners of the contest for the head of the institution, the deputy director of the institution and the head of the department of the institution are considered the 2 candidates with the highest, but not less than 6 points. As in this case only one candidate had a transition score of 6 or more, the competition was declared unsuccessful. “

Applicant for the position of Director of the NVSC must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree or equivalent higher education qualification. You must also have at least 3 years of managerial experience, proficiency in English, German or French at least level B2 and meet the legal requirements to obtain permission to work or have access to classified information marked “Secret”.

The official salary offered to you, before taxes, is 3,000. 540 euros.

The ULAC manual without supplements could receive between approximately € 1,090 and € 2,414 before taxes. According to ULAC, the average salary of executives in the fourth quarter of last year was 2,085 euros before taxes, the BNS news agency reported.

Applicants for ULAC supervisors must have a university degree in the field of biomedical sciences or social sciences or an equivalent education (master’s degree). Applicant must also have a state language according to the third category of state language proficiency, English language proficiency at least B2, have at least 1 year of managerial experience, have managerial competencies including the ability to plan and organize activities of subordinates to achieve optimal solutions to improve the quality of the work of the entire institution and of each member of the staff, taking into account the functions and specificity of the management of the Center, and supervise and control the work of the Center.

When asked if the candidates could be deterred by the possible low salary for those positions, N. Mikėnaitė said: “We do not believe that the amount of the salary could be the main reason why there are so few candidates.” The specialist also added that it is not intended to change the terms of the tender in any way.

Former Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga told the Delfi portal that he sees several possible reasons why the ministry cannot find the heads of ULAC and NVSC.

“It is very difficult, of course, to say exactly why this is so. I can only make a few assumptions.

It happens that the tenders are deliberately not announced, when some kind of reorganization is planned, possible mergers of institutions. Usually they are expected to reorganize and then the management competitions are already announced. But in this case, competitions have been announced and, as far as I remember, they are now evaluating the ULAC candidate, it is only strange that for so long ”.

A. Veryga was criticized for not electing leaders in any way and by his successor, Health Minister Arūnas Dulkis: “I think this minister will have problems with the leaders. Show a clear distrust of managers: Recall the story with the Šiauliai Hospital manager, there are probably more stories of all kinds. At least, as far as I have heard, communication with managers is avoided, so that people do not get too involved in such competitions, especially in institutions like NVSC. Now you know the situation well. Therefore, you will probably find few who would like to get to run such an institution in such a situation, and even more so, it is often not a dream job.

Nor is there a remuneration in such state institutions that is particularly motivating. They cannot offer a salary like the one that private institutions that hire the best can pay. “

The interlocutor questioned whether many people would like to go to lead ULAC as well, because so far the ministry has not fully said it and what it plans to do with this institution.

“We have developed a plan to merge those institutions so that one analysis is not done and the other is infection control. Now what? What is the ministry’s plan? If I am a person who wants to apply for a leadership position somewhere, especially one who has something to do and can choose, and those leaders are expected to be competent, knowledgeable, not newcomers, so I think for these reasons no one and in no rush to lead. It is not clear what will pass, how long will that manager work, if there will be an institution or not, if it will merge or not.

If the ministry plans to merge the institutions, then perhaps an interim leader should be appointed, with whom it would be possible to agree in advance that there is a plan to merge the institutions, who would implement such a task and not for a period. several years, ”said A. Veryga.

Delfi recalls that since 1989, when the institution was called the Lithuanian AIDS Center, ULAC decided to dismiss S. Čaplinskas on November 5 last year, when the then Minister of Health A. Veryga announced that such a decision was being implemented due to the no performance and “Not for a single offense.”

As a result of this news, S. Čaplinskas was incapacitated for a long time, until on March 1, the new Minister of Health A. Dulkys dismissed him, claiming that he had no reason to change the decision made by A. Veryga.

S. Čaplinskas himself called his dismissal illegal and therefore claimed to have filed a lawsuit.

As the BNS previously wrote, the former head of ULAC also blamed the decision to remove him, former Health Minister A. Veryga, for deciding to “destroy ULAC.” According to him, he and the institution experienced “various forms of psychological harassment: starting with various forms of harassment, underestimation of competences, fabrication of accusations, violations of honor and dignity, discrimination.”

R. Petraitis, the former head of the NVSC, is also challenging the decision to remove him in court. A. Dulkys decided to fire him after an unfavorable annual evaluation for R. Petraitis in mid-February. The then head of the NVSC disagreed with the evaluation findings and asked the ministry for a special commission to evaluate its activities. However, according to A. Dulkis, the commission’s findings confirmed its “vision and assessment.”

Following the removal of R. Petraitis, GSCė Aleksien Head, Head of the Communicable Disease Management Division, is temporarily in charge of NVSC.

ULAC is currently headed by Deputy Director Kęstutis Krivickas.